At first all they saw was a small
compartment, with walls of heavy steel, some shelves of the
same and a seat which folded up against the wall made of
like powerful material.
"This is supposed to be the captain's room, where he stays
when he directs matters." Tom explained. "The machinery is
below and beyond here."
"How'd you come to evolve this?" asked Ned. "I haven't
seen half enough of the outside, to say nothing of the
inside."
"You'll have time enough," Tom said. "This is my first
completed tank. There are some improvements to be made
before we send it to the other side to be copied.
"Then they'll make them in England as well as here, and
from here we'll ship them in sections."
"I don't see how you ever thought of it!" exclaimed the
girl, in wonder.
"Well, I didn't all at once," Tom answered, with a laugh.
"It came by degrees. I first got the idea when I heard of
the British tanks.
"When I had read how they went into action and what they
accomplished against the barbed wire entanglements, and how
they crossed the trenches, I concluded that a bigger tank,
one capable of more speed, say ten or twelve miles an hour,
and one that could cross bigger excavations--the English
tanks up to this time can cross a ditch of twelve feet--I
thought that, with one made on such specifications, more
effective work could be done against the Germans.
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